Mir Hazar Khan Khoso named Pakistan's caretaker PM

Islamabad: Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, a retired judge with a strong reputation for honesty, was today chosen as the caretaker Prime Minister to conduct the May 11 general elections in Pakistan.

Khoso, 84, was appointed by the Election Commission after the Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition and a bipartisan parliamentary committee were unable to choose a caretaker premier after six days of deliberations.

The matter was then sent to the five-member Election Commission on Friday night. Following two days of discussions, Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim announced this afternoon that the poll panel had chosen Khoso for the slot.

Soon after his appointment, Khoso said the elections would be held on time though the law and order situation in the country is bad.

"I will meet with representatives of all political parties and assure that elections will be fair. God willing, everything will be right.

Elections will be on time. Law and order position is bad but it is the responsibilities of the provinces. We will coordinate with provincial governments to ensure law and order is maintained," he said.

Khoso belongs to Goth Azam Khan Khosa in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan province and earlier served as Chief Justice of both the Balochistan High Court and the Federal Shariah Court. MORE